The United States men’s national team roster for the World Cup will officially be revealed Tuesday, but fans are getting an early glimpse of some of the players who reportedly will wear the Stars and Stripes this summer.
The Guardian was able to obtain Mauricio Pochettino’s final roster for the World Cup, reporting the full USMNT squad on Saturday, which The Athletic later confirmed. The 26-player list is a defender-heavy mix of players, with only a few surprising inclusions and a few notable omissions.
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Club América winger Alejandro Zendejas earned a spot despite receiving just 139 minutes under Pochettino. Lyon’s Tanner Tessmann, who had seemed likely to make the cut even after suffering a muscle strain two weeks ago, did not. Neither did Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna, who had been one of the USMNT’s most consistent contributors in the buildup to the tournament and scored four goals in seven MLS appearances since returning from injury in April.
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In general, one of the most notable selections is Gio Reyna, a talented but polarizing figure who has made only four USMNT appearances since the Copa América in the summer of 2024. Reyna is flexible position-wise — a big benefit on a limited tournament roster — but has had injury troubles and was tied up in controversy related to his parents and former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter.
Sebastian Berhalter — son of former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter — also made the squad after earning MLS Best XI honors last season with Vancouver.
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The roster skews heavily toward the back line, with 10 defenders selected to fill four or five starting slots. Chris Richards is included despite Crystal Palace announcing he’ll miss their league finale with torn ankle ligaments. Only four true central or defensive midfielders made the cut: Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Cristian Roldan and Berhalter.
Up front, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright will compete for starting time.
The exclusions of Luna and Gozo, meanwhile, are also notable for different reasons. Luna, a 22-year-old midfielder and winger, has received several call-ups from Pochettino over the past year, making him a surprising snub. The 19-year-old Gozo, meanwhile, is one of the most exciting young prospects in MLS and seems destined for a bright future in Europe. Gozo has represented the U.S. at nearly every youth level, and it seems likely his time will be coming in the future.
The squad will be officially unveiled Tuesday at a live event in New York City, airing on Fox at 3 p.m. ET.
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Here is the full USMNT roster, per The Guardian:
(First-time World Cup selections indicated with an asterisk, caps and goals listed in parentheses)
Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady* (Chicago Fire, 0 caps/0 goals), Matt Freese* (New York City, 14/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution, 53/0)
Defenders (10): Max Arfsten* (Columbus Crew, 18/1), Sergiño Dest (PSV, 37/2), Alex Freeman* (Villarreal, 15/2), Mark McKenzie* (Toulouse, 27/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC, 80/1), Chris Richards* (Crystal Palace, 36/3), Antonee Robinson (Fulham, 52/4), Miles Robinson* (FC Cincinnati, 38/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 24/0), Auston Trusty* (Celtic, 6/0)
Midfielders (4): Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth, 52/2), Sebastian Berhalter* (Vancouver Whitecaps, 11/1), Weston McKennie (Juventus, 64/12), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders, 45/0)
Attacking midfielders/wingers (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United, 57/9), Christian Pulisic (Milan, 84/32), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 36/9), Malik Tillman* (Bayer Leverkusen, 28/3), Tim Weah (Marseille, 49/7), Alejandro Zendejas* (Club América, 13/2)
Strikers (3): Folarin Balogun* (AS Monaco, 25/8), Ricardo Pepi* (PSV, 35/13), Haji Wright (Coventry City, 20/7)
The USMNT’s roster announcement Tuesday is not as official as it might seem: Final rosters for the World Cup must be submitted by June 1, at which point they will be officially locked in. That means players like Luna and Tessmann, who didn’t make the roster, may still be added before that deadline.
After that date, players can be replaced on the roster only due to injury or illness, per FIFA rules.
